Prior patents for roller skate brakes may be divided into three categories. Several designs (U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,193,685, 4,273,345, 5,028,058, 5,052,701) induce friction between the skate and road surface by dragging an appendage, generally a rubber pad, along the road. This technique has been applied to both traditional broad-wheel type roller skates and to the in-line type and has achieved the greatest commercial success. It suffers, however, from a number of deficiencies: it creates insufficient friction to stop a skater moving at high speed in a short distance; it provides inadequate control due to variable road surfaces and diminished contact between the wheels and road as the wheels are relieved of weight born by the brake surface; and the brake surface suffers from wear requiring frequent replacement or adjustment or resulting in deteriorating performance of the brake. Devices of this type, in other words, suffer from problems in effectiveness, control, and reliability.
A second category employs a brake that applies frictional resistance to the free rotation of one or more wheels but can not be applied or adjusted as the skate is in use. Designs of this type are intended for use in physical training or instruction by enabling the skater to increase the resistance to forward motion, thus building leg strength, or to limit the speed attainable, making the skate safer for beginners. This concept has been applied to the traditional broad wheeled type roller skate (U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,244) and to the in-line type skate (U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,952).
A third category of skate brake produces variable and spontaneously applied resistance to the free rotation of one or more wheels. All of these patents apply to traditional broad wheel type skates and all except one apply friction directly to the surface of the wheel that makes contact with the road. This approach has at least two difficulties: wear on the wheel surface is increased several fold because the brake increases the friction which the surface must endure, accelerating wear, particularly since the rolling surface of skate wheels are made of relatively soft materials (in comparison to brake surfaces) such as rubber or plastic to improve contact with the road surface; and all parts are exposed to din and moisture, limiting the effectiveness of the brake system. A number of these designs (U.S. Pat. Nos. 177,565, 296,833, 4,275,895, 1,810,380, 4,402,520) use lever arms that are deployed from the rear of the skate and are activated by elevating the toe of the skate. One design (U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,895) is activated by means of a lever deployed upwards from the rear of the skate and is activated by contact with, and deflection by, the calf of the skater's leg. A design that does not apply friction to the rolling surface of the skate wheel applies resistance instead between the rear axle and the rear wheel This design (U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,520) is applicable to the traditional broad wheel type skate only and suffers from a number of deficiencies: a limited braking surface that provides insufficient friction to arrest a skater at high speed in a short distance; a tendency to lock, resulting in uncontrolled and dangerous stops, and susceptibility to high rates of wear.